tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post2711208752425604835..comments2015-07-31T05:44:54.586-04:00Comments on Today's Inspiration: "Tom, Jack and Harry" - or - Three Freds and a Len Beats a "Royal Flush"Leif Penghttps://plus.google.com/111672213320663226648noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-63666085696753600102011-11-01T11:39:19.372-04:002011-11-01T11:39:19.372-04:00Thanks Leif. Of course you may, here are the links...Thanks Leif. Of course you may, here are the links to all the e-books:<br /><br />http://www.divshare.com/direct/15987873-77d.pdf<br /><br />http://www.divshare.com/direct/15987893-39a.pdf<br /><br />http://www.divshare.com/direct/15987918-ee4.pdf<br /><br />http://www.divshare.com/direct/15560398-c47.pdf<br /><br />http://www.divshare.com/direct/15599872-355.pdf<br /><br />Regards.<br />AlAl McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284607287959811054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-9500357727576661902011-10-28T07:09:48.941-04:002011-10-28T07:09:48.941-04:00Bruce; many thanks - I can hardly wait! :^)Bruce; many thanks - I can hardly wait! :^)Leif Penghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-90423843552490879592011-10-28T07:09:23.194-04:002011-10-28T07:09:23.194-04:00Al; Thanks for sharing your story! And the work ...Al; Thanks for sharing your story! And the work in that PDF - magnificent! I&#39;d love to use some of that and the text from your comment as a post on storyboard central!Leif Penghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-11876504153906149382011-10-28T00:38:25.123-04:002011-10-28T00:38:25.123-04:00Eric; That&#39;s an excellent attitude and, again...Eric; That&#39;s an excellent attitude and, again, each artist must make his or her own peace with what will satisfy their urge to create. I am simply saying I would rather not denigrate those open-minded enough to adapt to change by exploring new technologies. I think, rather, that they should be applauded. Do you agree?Leif Penghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-6161364202497775022011-10-27T23:49:33.760-04:002011-10-27T23:49:33.760-04:00Great post Leif (not that I needed another example...Great post Leif (not that I needed another example besides my own) but history does indeed repeat itself. However, like the old (unbiblical) adage: &quot;When God closes a door, he opens a window&quot;, it seems to me that as long as I retain my passion for my art, things seem to work out eventually. I have been a full-time illustrator for 25 years now, and have certainly witnessed the Decline of Western Illustration along the way. I doubt too, that it will turn around and be what it once was (just ask J.C. Leyendecker). But faith in your self, God or the art fairy will win out over doubt &amp; fear if you first create for the soul purpose of who you are -- an artist. I empathize with those in the field who are struggling, and believe me, I know what it&#39;s like, but it&#39;s not the end by a long shot...especially for traditional medium illustrators. Human kind will always have a need for art and art made by human hands. Illustration and photography (which now includes digital imagery) have always tipped the scales one way or the other over the decades, and budgets have waxed and waned as well. But I&#39;d rather keep my nose to the grind stone and produce the best I can -- at least I will have satisfied myself if nothing else. That, and another famous adage I put stock in; &quot;Build it and they will come&quot;....Eric Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376127920858647441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-90072366912183060972011-10-27T23:01:52.225-04:002011-10-27T23:01:52.225-04:00Armand and Pete;
Thanks for sharing your perspect...Armand and Pete;<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your perspective on this issue. As mentioned, the choices made by individual artists are going to be as varied as each artist&#39;s needs, wants, and circumstances. I think your choices are entirely as valid as those made by the artists I presented in today&#39;s (and yesterday&#39;s) examples - and I hope only to provide others the opportunity to give their own situation further consideration by becoming aware of how others dealt with (perhaps) similar circumstances.Leif Penghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-59305687212449111582011-10-27T20:12:09.900-04:002011-10-27T20:12:09.900-04:00I&#39;m with Armand on this one. The two illustrat...I&#39;m with Armand on this one. The two illustrators who transitioned their visual skills to photography obviously did so with pleasure for that medium, yet to me it feels like they simply threw in the towel, becoming part of that disturbing trend of photography squeezing illustration out of the business. I&#39;m more impressed with the others who were later able to ply their trade in venues that were still somewhat similar to the ones they&#39;d started out in. I particularly admire Fritz Siebel being able to utilize his talent to do such delightful cartoon illustration for children&#39;s books.<br /><br />In today&#39;s world, with the computer taking over so much of the illustration process, I also have to question the illustrators&#39; stance as Armand has. Do we simply throw in the towel and all become computer jockeys, fighting with software that produces quick yet (to us) unsatisfying results? And do we crank out mediocre work for clients that have no understanding of how much better the results could be if the illustrator had greater artistic input on the assignment?<br /><br />Since seeing my freelance illustration business reduced year by year to a trickle, I&#39;ve been lucky enough to transition my skillset to teaching over the last eight years, yet I create illustration on the side for my own pleasure, still using traditional media of pencil, brush, ink, and gouache. Besides, those of us that still create art using real media have one up on the Photoshop/Illustrator crowd, in that we have tangible original art to display, not merely printouts. I am hopeful that producing tangible art with paint, board and canvas may actually create a demand from private collectors willing to pay for the genuine article.Pete Emsliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01451607722482352366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-15865250427100077852011-10-27T18:13:50.272-04:002011-10-27T18:13:50.272-04:00Leif,
The problem I guess comes down to how you v...Leif,<br /><br />The problem I guess comes down to how you view being an artist. Do you treat it as a job and take any work at any price because at the end of the day its better than working at Walmart even though it pays the same yearly salary? I think everyone has to answer that for themselves but at some point if you respect the process you have to draw a line in the sand as an individual knowing the world is going to run right over you eventually. After all, why not just work at a non-related job and make art for yourself. At what point does the low pay, stupid ideas of clients and general lack of creativity make someone want to quit as opposed to conform to a new possibly lower standard of pay and work? If, as artists, we have creativity in us inseparable from who we are as human beings at what point do we create for ourselves and just say enough is enough? Aren’t the ideas and style of our works unique to ourselves as individuals? If you give those up to work and stay current what do you have left? I sure as hell don’t know.ARMAND CABRERAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772142818316748471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-10200377288125805412011-10-27T18:00:15.384-04:002011-10-27T18:00:15.384-04:00Hi Leif, it has been a while since I&#39;ve contac...Hi Leif, it has been a while since I&#39;ve contacted you, but I am always following your excellent blog. <br /><br />It is a timely topic, I am feeling the change also. In 1991 the business here in Brazil tanked because of the economy, I was invited back to New York by my old comp art illustration reps, Diamond Art Studios. <br /><br />The advertising comp art business had changed a lot since I had left the USA in 1983. The ad agencies were now enamored with storyboards made up from stock photo catalogues, with that comp work dried up, so Diamond left the storyboard and comp business.They were now into regional marketing campaigns - direct with the client, no ad agency. Diamond Art even rebranded themselves as the Diamond Promotion Group. So with promotion clients, I was very busy once again, this time working with Clairol, L&#39;Oreal, and what seemed a huge number of liquor brands.<br /><br />A few years later the company was bought out and in 1995 I began working with Paul Santa-Donato, who was one of my first reps at Diamond originally. Illustration for comps had come back strong since the clients had complained that all the storyboards looked alike because the art directors would all use the same &quot;beautiful&quot; photos. And the photographers themselves and directors disliked comps and storyboards with photos, specially the ones with mood, saying that it really hampered their creativity. An illustrated storyboard always left room for imagination. <br /><br />With the advent of the internet I was able to return to Brazil and work from my studio here. But now we are going through another phase... I have samples in this PDF: http://www.divshare.com/direct/15987873-77d.pdf and here: https://www.facebook.com/almcallisterartist<br /><br />Great work, wishing you and all, of us, the best. AlAl McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284607287959811054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-33179470580573321032011-10-27T16:58:50.132-04:002011-10-27T16:58:50.132-04:00Great series, Leif. I have another stack of tear s...Great series, Leif. I have another stack of tear sheets to send your way.<br />BruceBruce Hettemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11528651482236878527noreply@blogger.com